Rosie Catalano - 4.8/5

This girl is a gem. She's polite, inquisitive - and passionate. I just think it's equally important that an artist is level headed as well as extremely talented.

Rosie Catalano recently won a competition in which she was able to record her demo professionally with the Little Birdy band members.

She hasn't got much exposure yet - but I can see it really taking off down the highway of fame for her. I mean the song - which is named 'Where did I go wrong' not only sounds beautiful - but she is a natural lyricist as well. 'I feel like I fell off the wagon, now everybody's made it to town'. To be honest she writes in a very similar style to myself. This song could not have been any better - when you read this Rosie - you've already made a perfect song - it can only go up from here.

As you will hear by listening to her music she is also A great guitar player - crafting sweet melodies - with intricate vocal lines to match.

See the video here of where did I go wrong and listen to her other songs.

http://www.myspace.com/rosiecatalano

She is also offering her music for film makers to download for free - so if your studying film or know someone who is - go to her myspace and click on the link.


I asked her the same questions as I asked Hungry kids of Hungary - I left the initial part of the message in because it gives you an idea of her quirky, and polite attitude.

'Ah - sorry for the delay. I thought I sent this yesterday but I only pressed 'Save Draft'. Oops.'


1. Why, why do you play, why do you write?

'I was definitely a writer well before I ever picked up the guitar. I used to rush home after school with stories and characters just bursting to come out, so back then I wrote as a form of escapism. When I picked up the guitar in my late teens and began writing songs they were like diary entries and were very personal - I'm still embarrassed that I ever sung them to my friends! These days I write for all sorts of reasons, and sometimes I only discover the meanings as I go along. It can be quite a fun process when the song tells *you* what to do.'


2. Are there any significant events in your life that have led you down a path that relates to your musical existence.

'My 'singing existence' certainly didn't start with a bang; I got rejected from the primary school choir after auditioning with the classic tune 'Twinkle Twinkle'. Luckily I stumbled into acting at Shopfront Theatre and had this fabulous director who gave us singing classes. They were so much fun that I was happy to sing whether or not anyone thought I was any good.'


3. Why do you fit into the genre that you do? why the style that you are??

'I fell into the folk/pop genre without consciously planning to. I once tried writing a dance song on my nylon-string guitar, plucking the E-string in the hopes that it would sound vaguely like a bass or drum beat. Needless to say it didn't turn out quite the way I'd imagined in my head. I think that being limited to just my guitar and vocals has meant that my songs have been led down the folk route, although I don't mind so much any more. My music tends to be a bit pop too, which I suspect is because of my shocking memory; only the strong poppy melodies stick. I'm pretty keen to learn some new instruments and start experimenting with a loop pedal, so we'll just have to wait and see how that turns out!'


Thank you Rosie for an amazing listening experience. I hope this blog helps you gain even a tiny bit of extra exposure. In the end though I doubt you will need it.

Hungry Kids of Hungary 4.5/5

Welcome back, if you haven't been here before - the blog has been revamped.

Our first review with the new design is the Hungry kids of Hungary.

Here it is.



I'll start with the response they politely gave me.

This is what I asked

1. Why, why do you play, why do you write?

2. Are there any significant events in your life that have lead you down a path that relates to your musical existence.

3. Why do you fit into the genre that you do? why the style that you are??

This is what was said

1. I write because i'm an obsessive compulsive and I need to get that stuff out of me if its there. Its usually melody, hardly ever words. That certainly doesn't mean all the stuff that comes out is good either or even suits the hungry kids! But its better out than in I suppose

2. I really think its just growing up and absorbing what around you. My dad played a lot of late 60s and early 70s harmony music in the car / around the house when i was little. I guess that stuff rubs off on you eventually. However, I was seriously into Pantera in highschool, but everyone in my grade was.

3. We play a fairly eclectic mix of pop, soul and indie rock. I'm not sure how we arrived at this. But, the last band I played in was more jazzy and soulful. The last band Dean (singer/vox) played in was much more rock. I guess they have merged into something in between perhaps?haha


cheers bro,
kane (keys/vox)


Now for the review,

There are two things that I first noticed when I listened to this wonderful band.

Firstly - the production is amazing. Every instrument is beautifully spaced. There's one musician that doesn't get mentioned on any myspace or last fm page, or in the majority of interviews for that matter. The engineer/s. I'll find out who is behind the recordings and edit later.

*EDIT Matt Redlich at his home studio in brisbane *

The drums throughout their tracks are really thick and punchy - exactly what you want, I'm not sure if they have side chained compressors to make them stick out, while keeping them out of the way of the rest of the band - whatever has been done - has paid off, because it just molds perfectly together.

The second thing I noticed was the wide - and I mean wide, dynamic range, and disregard for a single genre. Their pieces spill out into your ears. From peak to peak, and not one number sounds the same as the last.

To find out what I mean - go to the myspace - and just listen to the first two songs - 'old money' and 'scattered diamonds'. It takes you from a modern British sound, straight into an American rock ballad. They even have an amazing electro indie remix of scattered diamonds.

If you listen to our music - she's themorning and thenight is similar in this way - and it's something I believe a band should be able to do - while still sounding like the same band and keeping a strong core, and feeling, but making music that is constantly changing and evolving - only looking back to find out how to move forward.

Diversity. It's what makes the world interesting. Keeps us all from wearing the same clothes day in and day out - and watching the same TV show as everybody else, at exactly the same time.

If you want to have a great musical experience, listen, buy, see the Hungry kids of Hungary live. You won't be disappointed.

Call to Action

http://www.last.fm/music/Hungry+Kids+of+Hungary

Their latest release is Mega Mountain

The Middle East - 4.9/5

'Blood' by the middle east from their self titled EP is a song that defines a moment. A song that when you listen to years after you first did, you get a nostalgic feeling, and you remember exactly where you were and how you were feeling when you first heard it.

So here is my question - and a response.

Me ----->'I'd love to hear about what originally inspired you to make the music you do - and a drive to keep going,to be different.

Bands like yours obviously represent the more creative and inventive side of the music industry. would you agree?'

The Middle East ----> 'I think it's just music that we like. We listen to other peoples music, take it in and then make our own. I don't think there's a mystical process or secret inspiration for writing the music, it's just what comes out. We don't drop acid or anything....

Yeah I think the band is pretty creative, but if you look hard enough there's always someone who's done most of it before. I guess the music industry has a big uninventive side.'


There are beautiful female harmonies, throughout their pieces, creative and dynamic guitar work. If I could make a comparison I would say that if you like music such as Cassino, The Snake The Cross The Crown, Fleet Foxes, then you will adore the Middle East.


(I might have to update this review, make it into two parts - because there's a couple of things I really want to know. But I'll work with what I've got so far)

Having a name like 'The Middle East' was either strongly thought out, or a mere coincidence, but gaining popularity, this band has made a very good marketing move.

Anyone who wants to know more, about one of the biggest places of cultural significance today, from little Billy who has to do a History assignment for his year 9 class - or a university student who's task is to give a 2000 word essay explaining in their own words, the turmoil in the middle east and why it is what it is. Anyone who types the middle east, might just come across this band.

I hope they do.

CALL TO ACTION
http://www.myspace.com/visitthemiddleeast
http://www.last.fm/music/The+Middle+East



Buy some of their music on Itunes.

Ashlee Adams - Discussion/interview

Okay so I was sitting on my computer - about to sign into myspace - and I look over at the Celebrity updates - and as her Profile picture is supposed to do - it caught my attention.

No, my first thought wasn't - I hope this chick has some hot pics I can frap off to. It was this - how is this person a celebrity, and why is she doing better than us when we put in so much work? Surely all she has to do is sit around, get a few pictures taken, and post some blogs, and answer questions about her sexual preferences.

I also contemplated taking some half naked pictures of myself and posting it as my profile picture - but then remembered I wasn't a model, or a woman. This was a slight floor in my otherwise perfect plan.

Well I thought to myself, I'm going to find out, so I posted a comment on her page, not expecting to get a response as quickly as I did, if at all.

So this was our discussion -

Neal 'blah blah blah - I don't understand how you do this with pride - blah blah We put in so much hard work, and you don't.....'

Ashlee 'I think it's rather presumptuous of you to assume I don't work hard. There are hundreds of other girls in Australia who 'sell their bodies' who have nowhere near my friend count, so obviously there has to be a little more to it than simply posting semi nude pics online. If posing in lingerie was an easy one way ticket to online success, there'd be a lot more Aussie models listed on the celebrity updates page with tens of thousands of friends, but there's not... It's just me. I'm not prettier or slimmer than all these other girls, so don't you think maybe there is a little more to it?'

Neal 'Well I'm referring to the way it makes you feel as a person - not the work you put into it - but the skill that it takes to do what you do - not the amount of of time you dedicate to get desperate men watching your videos in hope to see a little bit of nip. But you raise a fair point - and I'm a fair person - I admit the curiosity in if you would actually read what I wrote and write back did prompt me to actually pose the question to you directly rather than just keep it to myself. I just think that there's more to life - I guess i'm too optimistic for the general public, Well I hope you find whatever it is your looking for in what you do - but I think you could use your current popularity and public image now that you have it - for something better.'

Ashlee 'I think you need to realise that when you say "more to life", everyone has a totally different opinion of what exactly life should consist of. At the end of the day, my skills are simply that I kick ass at marketing and I'm very smart, so I've devised a manner in which to promote myself that means I now earn a stable above average income and live very comfortably, I get paid to travel the world, and I have a hell of a time doing it.

The sad thing is, there really isn't much else I can do with my public image. Australia is extremely conservative and the adult industry is considered taboo by much of the population. Two years ago I came up with a really fun idea for Movember and raised over $1500 for charity. Last year my online popularity had skyrocketed and I decided to make my Movember goals bigger and even had backing from ZOO Weekly magazine - I could've raised thousands. However, I was cut down before I started by the Movember committee and banned from participating because they don't want somebody like me (aka someone involved in the adult industry) making their family fun fundraiser look bad. I'm pretty sure all the guys dying from prostate cancer wouldn't have cared if their money was raised by a nude model, but according to the Movember committee it would be inappropriate to take money raised by me. Sadly, the same mentality can be applied to the majority of charity and fundraising organisations in Australia - if you're somehow related to anything adult, they will refuse your money or help.

Believe me, I would love to use my online status for something more, but once you've got the whole "naked" stigma attached to your name, you're pretty much screwed in Australia.'



See the reason I changed my mind and opinion is this - Ashlee raised some important points. Points that I like to Preach, and look rather foolishly like a hypocritical hypocrite. Believe me that last word isn't redundant - I need it to explain how much of a hypocrite I would be - to not acknowledge the points that were raised in our conversation.

Everyone has the right, to be whatever they want to be - as long as what they do doesn't infringe on others freedom of choice. If this is what she had to do to see the world, then it's what she had to do - if something makes you feel uncomfortable, then you can always look the other way.

We get the occasional person, or to be more poetically correct, moron, that tells us how much they hate our music - and wonder why we bother. You can't argue with these people, and it's a waste of time trying to - which is why I want to take the opportunity to make an apology. S-S-S okay I'll spit it out, Sorry Ashlee Adams for my judgmental behavior.

Wish you the best of luck.